Keeping the brain healthy while one ages is a great challenge as medical science has extended lifespans and learned to manage chronic illnesses in the Western world. Some say exercise is best, others vouch for supplements. But it turns out that mental acuity might be best maintained by sharpening a pencil — and your problem-solving skills.

Many Canadians purchase supplements infused with omega-3 fatty acids and B-vitamins for their purported ability to fight free radicals, improve cranial cell structure and increase concentration, memory and awareness. But researchers at the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto have found evidence proving otherwise.

The study, outlined in the latest issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s official journal, examined the mental abilities of more than 17,000 people consuming varying diets. Researchers found that those subjects who followed a Mediterranean diet more regularly experienced a decreased risk of memory loss of as much as 19%.

The key to the Mediterranean diet is omega-3 fatty acids found most notably in fish oil and other marine and plant oils. The potential memory-saver is also found is flax seed, walnuts and pulses.

“Diet is an important modifiable activity that could help in preserving cognitive functioning in late life,” lead researcher Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis of the University of Alabama told the Daily Mail.

“However, it is only one of several important lifestyle activities that might play a role in late-life mental functioning.”

Dr. Tsivgoulis stresses the importance of exercise, avoiding obesity, and taking medication to control conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

The buzz around omega-3 isn’t all good. A researcher at the University of B.C.’s Okanagan campus cautioned earlier this year that, in the case of cardiac and inflammatory diseases, the much-lauded acids may do little to combat illness. Researchers found that the combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids worsened matters for patients with problems in the heart and gut.

Despite these results, omega-3 fatty acids are considered “essential fatty acids,” meaning the body requires them for good health. Studies by American researchers continue to reinforce this notion, with some recent publications suggesting the fats could prevent colon cancer, slow tumors and even lead to a longer life.